Mobile and Quad-Play (Voice, Video, Data, and Wireless) operators are currently rolling out video services to portable presentation devices such as mobile phones and other portable devices that can render video and have networking capability. These new services enable consumers to watch media content on the go, such as watching a baseball game on the train during a commute home. In many cases this same content is available simultaneously in one or more alternative formats. For example, the consumer might be watching a game via a DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) broadcast to a QCIF-compatible (Quarter Common Intermediate Format) mobile phone, while an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), cable, or satellite broadcast simultaneously delivers the game in high-definition television (“HDTV”) format to the consumer's home. Such simultaneous delivery of media content (e.g., the same television program) in multiple formats over multiple delivery paths is called “simulcasting.”
The availability of rich simulcasting services for media content in digital form is growing. Consumers are becoming more aware of mobile video and are demonstrating more willingness to pay for enhanced services. In addition, platforms such as mobile phones and their underlying networks have become more capable of streaming and rendering video with good picture quality. Although many existing quad-play platforms are providing a satisfactory level of quality of video services to portable devices, additional features and services are desirable.